Job costing for tradies: find out which jobs actually make you money

Many trade businesses know roughly what they earn in a month but not which jobs or which kinds of work produce it. Job costing answers a simple question: after labour, materials and other costs, what did this job actually leave behind?

What to track for each job

• Labour: the hours each person spent on the job, including travel if you charge for it or it is significant.
• Materials: what was used, at the price you paid.
• Other costs: equipment hire, disposal, permits, subcontractors and parking.
• Revenue: what you invoiced for the job, including any variations.

Compare the estimate with what really happened

The real value comes from comparing your estimate with the actual result. If labour regularly runs over on a certain type of job, your quotes for that work are too low or the scope is unclear. If materials always cost more than estimated, update your price list.

Use the results

1. Review finished jobs regularlyLook at the biggest gaps between estimate and actual every week or fortnight.
2. Adjust your pricingRaise prices, change the scope or add conditions for work that consistently runs over.
3. Choose the work you want more ofPut your marketing and your website effort behind the services that pay best.

None of this needs complicated software at first, but it does need consistent records. The habit matters more than the tool.

How Nenvik helps

Nenvik brings labour, material and expense costs together for each job, shows when cost details are missing, and lets you compare planned labour, materials and costs with the actual job records. Crew record work, break and travel time from a phone browser, and expenses can be linked to jobs. See the platform overview and pricing.